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Game2025
Into the Emberlands
Developer Tiny Roar
Venture out into the Emberlands and uncover an ever-changing world filled with surprising encounters and mystical creatures! Save villagers who got lost in the Miasma, collect resources and rebuild your village to create a safe haven for your people. From the Steam store page
207 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Oct 11, 2026 · last updated Oct 22, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
132 positive · 36 negative
95% range 72–84%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 132 | 36 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 0 | 24 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
139 of 175 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
79% recommend · 134 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 170 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (254 of 314 positive).
Players describe it as a cute but challenging roguelite with resource management. [1][2][3] Some find the early game frustrating due to harsh penalties for failure. [4][5][6] Others praise its addictive loop and charming art style. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
A deeply terrible game. To call it "cozy" is like calling Super Meat Boy "casual" - aside from the cute graphics, it is extremely tense! You need to constantly manage your resources, particularly because failures are punished with unclear setbacks, which cost dearly! At one point my setup was reduced to half, while I was sure that I was somewhat safe in the reset. Speaking of reset - you can force a reset (i.e. …
- [4]
Recommended, but with a big caveat I can't recommend the game to anyone getting easily frustrated (like myself). The penalty for failure is too harsh, with no option (be it in the settings or via upgrades in the game) to permanently reduce it, while progress is sluggishly slow (most of the time), and resources don't respawn until you die. You're penalized for exploring much and trying out new discoveries, so you …
- [7]
For the 2 bucks I paid for this, it's an absolute gem. The game loop is addictive, challenging and feels fresh. Not to mention the absolute gorgeous artstyle and music! Though it can be brutal at the start, and there is a lot of back-tracking, this game teaches you a valuable lesson of just taking it easy sometimes. ᥫ᭡.
- [9]
I fell in love with this game as soon as i saw the trailer, (my partner bought me this because i said it looked like something i would love to play and he surprised me). It is the BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Such a nice, relaxing, chilled game. You roam around in the dark looking for objects to complete your little tasks, some of the levels can take an hour but the time just flies past. The …
- [1]
Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? No, it is a cute time/resource management inspired game with a little story around. You live in a tiny village, surrounded by thick fog (Miasma). Many of the villagers are lost in the fog, and the only defense against the fog is a large …
Summarised from 34 of the 213 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Into the Emberlands sits at 79% positive across 168 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 207 · most liked firstWhile I really enjoyed Into the Emberlands, I can't recommend it because the developers have done what so many other cozy/indie developers have done. They "full released" the game with bugs that have been known for months and instead of fixing them, have moved onto another game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know how many people know the *fantastic* DS game "Wario Ware: DIY" where you can make your own 3-second games? my very first video games arose from it, and even 15 years later I could make an Into The Emberlands Wario Ware game with it, on an DS emulator
neutral · AI labelView post →Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? No, it is a cute time/resource management inspired game with a little story around. You live in a tiny village, surrounded by thick fog (Miasma). Many of the villagers are lost in the fog, and the only defense against the fog is a large fire that keeps the Miasma at bay. You get promoted to Lightbearer and grab…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute style, but no substance or personality. The game is basically just Fetch Quest: the Game. Despite the fact that the entire point of the game is to bring lost villagers back to the village and that you're expected to eventually get lost and need rescue yourself, you can only drop villagers off at the village to complete a fetch quest that requires villagers as part of its required item list, and only if you have all the required items to complete the quest. If you have one villager and the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A deeply terrible game. To call it "cozy" is like calling Super Meat Boy "casual" - aside from the cute graphics, it is extremely tense! You need to constantly manage your resources, particularly because failures are punished with unclear setbacks, which cost dearly! At one point my setup was reduced to half, while I was sure that I was somewhat safe in the reset. Speaking of reset - you can force a reset (i.e. death), and you may need to do so, because the fast travel system can put you in a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's kind of neither here nor there Here's the deal: early-game here requires somewhat intense resource management as you can barely make it a few screens away from the village before running out of ember and perishing. Then you gradually upgrade your lantern to the point where your primary enemy will be your greed. So if you're here for a cozy time, you'll hate the early-game and perhaps like the mid/late-game, and if you like a challenge, you'll love the early game and might not like…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looking at the game it looked way more relaxing and cozy than it actually was. It looks very cute and the graphics as nice but it quickly becomes a game of numbers where you have to calculate every step you take and if you calculate wrong you lose everything. There is no way to tell how many steps you need to get back to your village so you have to keep track of that mentally. And when you don't make it back you lose your character and every upgrade you have gathered on previous levels. This…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →📣 Lightbearers, mark your calendars! 🗓️ On January 20th, our cozy roguelike game Into the Emberlands steps out of Early Access for its full release! 🎉🥰 ✨ With new endgame content, a final quest line, and a cinematic ending, this will be the best time to start your adventure in the Emberlands!💡🎒
neutral · AI labelView post →Into the Emberlands is a cozy exploration game built around a roguelite core mechanic. As the Lightbearer, you are tasked to venture out into the wilds to collect various resources. These will be used to rebuild your town - the last remaining settlement in a world devoured by an unknown darkness called Miasma. The look and feel and the gameplay to some extent are very similar to a classic time management game (think of “12 Labours Of Hercules” games), but Into the Emberlands is NOT exactly a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The visuals and audio are great, but in terms of gameplay I think the game loses me a bit on the later stages. It seems like a cozy game but gets quite hard/frustrating after a certain amount of stages. You basically have to manage your light and if you make a slight misstep you might end up dead 2-3 steps before reaching your base to refill. If you die you lose your inventory and your upgrades to your lamp, so after death you repeat the early farming stage for lamp upgrades. This is not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just finished and this game was a lot of fun! Almost got discouraged after being lost a few times, but as soon as I got my backpack and coins and crystal pack upgraded it was all good. The only thing I had issue with was storage space, even with the pack fully upgraded. Later in the game you need to keep several things in your pack while travelling leaving little space to pick up items needed for quests. In that same vein it would be nice to have a storage area in the town where you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just to say, I received a code for this game via a press release and was able to stream the game prior to launch. My thoughts are my own. This game is a very cute and charming little title with a lot of potential! It's oozing with charm where it counts, from bigger things like how your city grows while progressing to small things like animated cursor movements. I was able to play the game early, and was not advised of a final price, so I am surprised that the game (as of now) is a generously…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I kind of understand what the dev was trying to do with the nerfs... but my goodness. My ember got dropped down to a fraction of what it was before, the amount I needed to complete quests doubled or more and I just can't substantiate playing more without some content to justify the grind. I hope this constructive feedback helps: 1) Nerf with care. For those who have spent time enjoying an aspect of the game that they felt good with power leveling, you're risking alienating a lot of people…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →our game "Into the Emberlands" just got released for the Switch (and ofc Switch 2 👀) (also discounted on Steam rn) get your hands on my first project as lead artist :D -> www.nintendo.com/de-de/Spiele...
positive · AI labelView post →Recommended, but with a big caveat I can't recommend the game to anyone getting easily frustrated (like myself). The penalty for failure is too harsh, with no option (be it in the settings or via upgrades in the game) to permanently reduce it, while progress is sluggishly slow (most of the time), and resources don't respawn until you die. You're penalized for exploring much and trying out new discoveries, so you think you need to go slow, play it safe, and go back home all the time (and way…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →into the emberlands is an easy recommendation based on the solid delivery of its premise: it's a cute yet challenging management focused roguelite that gives you the task of facing against treacherous terrains and limited resources. so far, the games' first hours into early access have offered me a smooth experience on both desktop PC and steam deck, yet the steam deck version (not yet verified as of now) does suck on the battery as if its life depended on it, and its much more comfortable to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Would I recommend this? Yes and no. It is NOT for faint of heart. Things get extremely tedious (and kind of slow,) and while it doesn't look like it'd be that intense, it is. Most of it revolves around what we'll call oxygen management. Every tile you move takes an oxygen, which seems simple enough. There are plenty of things to run into to refill that oxygen. Be it rescuing people, or finding little ember pickups. Sometimes though, movement gets a little wonky, and you really need to start…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Exclusive: Cosy Roguelike 'Into The Emberlands' Looks Super Cute In Debut Switch Trailer. Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/LgEPFb21E5Y
neutral · AI labelView post →A short sweet, fantasy-apocalyptic Rougelike.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A disclaimer: the main source of my frustration is a lack of playtest and polish. I'm horrified to discover this game was actually in Early Access at one point, as this does NOT feel like it got substantial peer review. This game has some clear risk vs reward / strategy elements that seem like they could be quite fun. However your character moves so slowly and there's no map so it's difficult to reference where you've been. There's a lot of backtracking to refill your lantern, which wouldn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played this game throughout the Early Access process and I've thoroughly enjoyed it! If you enjoy exploration, resource management, drug crystal dealers and long-necked chickens, this one might just be up your alley.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Player can't save during the tutorial. Look, 2 tasks and 5 mins later, this is boring and I want to stop and pick it up later. I can't save, even before the nonsense below. It was just so slow that after the two initial objectives, I wanted out. During the tutorial, I bought some scrap at a vending machine and was asked to use a special axe to harvest some trees and use the materials to repair a toolshed. While I thought I was donating the material at the toolshed, I apparently was just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great artsyle, good dialogue and fun gameplay ideas sadly ruined by a death system that punishes the player far too heavily to the point where it feels like the player's wasted all their time upgrading themselves to be able to explore more. It's a shame really because I was having a very cosy and fun time playing the game until it made all of my work be for absolutely nothing and that just doesn't really feel good.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Forcing the "chill" gameplay by traversing the land as slow as possible without a fast forward option + cheat engine hack speed not beign usable and actually slowing you even more makes this tedious. No map to even be able to plan ahead trips and the drag option to see far ahead is non existent. I understand the game is cheap but i would rather have a developer be more serious about improving its work and ask for more money rather to have a mediocre product, the only good thing this game has…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought from sale for a dollar without expecting much from this, but I was wrong, this little cute game was a nice puzzle/inv.manv. game. I enjoyed most of it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed this game but ultimately the lamp mechanic is too limiting and unforgiving. I had a 70 fuel lamp and died 1 step away from base, no like 1 or 2 steps to stumble or the last second chance to burn items for a last ditch effort, you just die. Losing all of your lamp upgrades, coin upgrades, and storage upgrades is really, really demoralizing especially when you need to travel a far distance just to get enough resources to get more resources. I was stuck with no money and no axe and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hamburg-based indie developer @tinyroargames.bsky.social release the full version of cozy exploration game “Into the Emberlands”: The world of Knacks is threatened by a dark miasma. As Lightbringers, players bring back the missing Knacks, expand and rebuild villages. Congrats on the release! 🙌
neutral · AI labelView post →Its a fun little game very cute but they NEED to add a base storage system or atleast a way to drop a full stack of items because its just really annoying to drop 23 flowers just to pick up a rock
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a first impression, it's an extremely chill game; everything, from the characters and graphics to the music, has a sweet vibe to it. The gameplay loop is easy to understand: you explore the fog-covered areas, always saving enough flame to get back to the village, where you can upgrade buildings, buy supplies, and get improvements to explore further and further. For an Early Access release, it's quite polished, with only superficial bugs that don't spoil the experience at all. So, if you are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pro: Cute graphics and art style is unique. Con: Game play. Funny: Getting "lost" by dying a single tile away from your camp. Game is more frustrating than fun. Punishing to explore when exploring is literally required to progress. Micro inventory system but requires you to collect and hold a lot of resources. While a fan of rogue-lite, adding that "twist" into this game does not make for a cozy or fun experience. Most frustrating part of gameplay. No way to incrementally progress on a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Approximate amount of time to 100%: Around 10 hours Estimated achievement difficulty: 3/10 Minimum number of playthroughs needed: It is a roguelike, so it depends on your skill level Is there a good guide available: Not yet Multiplayer achievements: No Missable achievements: No Grinding Achievements: No DLC-Only achievements: No Speedrun achievements: No Time-gated achievements: No RNG-achievements: No Does difficulty affect achievements: No difficulty option Unobtainable/glitched achievements:…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For the 2 bucks I paid for this, it's an absolute gem. The game loop is addictive, challenging and feels fresh. Not to mention the absolute gorgeous artstyle and music! Though it can be brutal at the start, and there is a lot of back-tracking, this game teaches you a valuable lesson of just taking it easy sometimes. ᥫ᭡.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to like this game but it seems a bit lackluster to me. The gameplay doesn't change much and there isn't much that kept me interested, it all just feels like a series of fetch quests with too limiting resource management.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Real sad, this could have been a gem. Instead, one terrible design choice made the game unbearable after progressing into different biomes: the extremely limited inventory. I upgraded it to the maximum of 8 slots and you have to use these slots with all tools and all items from all the biomes all at once. I have no idea what the point of this frustration by design is. Different inventories for different biomes would have been cool. A separate tool box would ease the pain at least a bit. But no,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like the game but there are no settings to change the difficulty or gameplay, this game is so punishing! - No map - It's difficult to tell where you've been or backtrack back to base - Lose everything on death - Not only do you lose everything you're carrying but if you've upgraded your lantern you lose that progress too. If there were some setting to change what you lose upon death maybe I would've played it more. - Slow Movement - The character moves so slow, it's quite…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly didn’t expect Into the Emberlands to be as good as it is. You basically start with nothing and slowly build your way up by exploring, gathering resources, and completing quests. The art style is colorful and cute, but THIS IS NOT a cozy game. You actually have to think strategically when trekking through the miasma because it’s very easy to get yourself stranded or waste resources if you aren’t paying attention. As you keep playing, you unlock upgrades that make exploration easier,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Plays a bit like a mobile game. Initially I thought the game was cute with a cozy quest-focused gameplay. However, once you start trekking into the dark fog, it's actually rather...stressful? You basically just wander around, not being able to see where you came from due to this ever-present darkness around you. The problem? You have a limited number of steps due to an ever-dwindling lantern that you need to constantly refill as you navigate the forest from literal hell. Eventually you start…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is DELIGHTFULLY difficult. It looks cute - it is cute - but damn, you can get lost right away if you're not paying attention, and sometimes even when you ARE paying attention! I reached level 4 in 3 hours, and will be coming back to this game again and again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Diving into this new indie game, described as a cozy rougelike 👀 Into the Emberlands! #rougelike #twitch #streaming #vtuber #indiegame #cozy I'm live on Twitch, come hang out! www.twitch.tv/Obsidian_AAO...
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly? I bought this on a whim. Downloaded the demo, didn't even touch it. Saw the game was on sale, took advantage of that and bought the game. Couple weeks later, gave it a shot. There's not a lot of times where you're pleasantly surprised at a random impulse purchase, but I'm absolutely having a blast with this game! Granted, there are minor issues, but not enough to hinder my experiences from being overall Very Positive. It's a very cute stylized game with neat and simple mechanics…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I fell in love with this game as soon as i saw the trailer, (my partner bought me this because i said it looked like something i would love to play and he surprised me). It is the BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Such a nice, relaxing, chilled game. You roam around in the dark looking for objects to complete your little tasks, some of the levels can take an hour but the time just flies past. The only thing i would point out is it is in early access and the water is glitchy…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I first played the game in the tutorial I was entirely confused what I was doing at first. Seems in the game you need to feed the tool to your lantern when it gets lower than a certain amount. Once you play the game a little you find out this is actually a giant puzzle game. It's about exploring tiles and trying to micromanage distance between your town and your destination. Balancing using up 'Embers'. It's more of a strategy game with it. Chopping down trees to make B lines to certain…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Such a lovely game! Recommended to relax after an stressful day! Mechanics are easy to understand and music creates an adorable enviroment! <3 Anyways, the best part is Knack language xD
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →so cuddly and beautifully made <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great and cozy game, well worth the low price! build, explore and get lost. More gameplay here; https://youtu.be/2rqqWSImqoc?si=aJ76gwxNXFdIrBTl
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a tricky one. I'd recommend the game, but it's clearly not for everybody. To me, this is more of a puzzle game that allows you to go explore and solve the problems on your terms, without any time pressure, but with some head scratching in a weird way. You run around the areas outside the village, find and collect ressources with which you can find and bring back lost villagers, that in turn are required to upgrade the village and your gear. It's pretty straight forward and when you're in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spell your username with video game titles! This will be fun 🎮 Two Point Campus RimWorld Unpacking! Into The Emberlands Let's say I like Indie Games 👀
neutral · AI labelView post →What a lovely, wholesome game! I found this game a while ago and when I saw it at the Wholesome Direct, I was thrilled to be able to play the demo. Honestly, I had the best time saving those little Knacks. The game runs smoothly and playing it is an overall charming, calming yet fun experience. It is the perfect game after a long day at work! :) With any title in Early Access, I expect that there to be bits and pieces that need fixing. So far, I have only encountered minor things. NONE of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great puzzle game and works well on Steam deck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →first, the game is gorgeous. amazing designs and beautiful environment. the mechanics are pretty interesting. however, there's some points making the game hard to swallow. the game mainly operates on 'high risk high reward' term. the ember steps mechanics are so unforgiving, it made for some stupid ass game over. some layouts perhaps would be nearly impossible because of how limited axes/pickaxes are. inventory system is limited, upgrades are tedious to say the least. maybe we should…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Into the Emberlands offers a unique blend of cozy exploration and light roguelike mechanics set in a beautifully crafted, mysterious world. The game puts you in the shoes of the Lightbearer, a lone wanderer carrying a fading ember lantern, tasked with exploring a vast, procedurally generated wilderness shrouded in an encroaching darkness known as the Miasma. The central challenge revolves around carefully managing your dwindling light as you search for resources, rescue the endearing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun at first but later on you will just realize that it is just another fetch this fetch that game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This cosy exploration game feels like it has a degree of unrealised potential. That said, it is a fun way to spend a few evenings, but lacks anything to draw me back in. Definitely worth a few quid to while away a few hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Jonsku reviews Into the Emberlands! #videogamereview #indiegame #emberlands www.nettosgameroom.com/2025/04/into...
neutral · AI labelView post →Everyone keeps complaining, that our Tiny never got his own game, but now the time has finally come: he's finally here! Not in Pog form, but as a pet AND as a cosplay outfit in our game 'Into the Emberlands'! The game is currently on sale on steam. Just saying 👉👈
positive · AI labelView post →Its nice, relaxing and simple, i'm at the very start of it, but it can be a little frustrating on getting lost and inventory management, but you get used to it. It is a relaxing game but not one where you can zone out.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The reason I've not played for very long is because I encountered a few minor bugs, not because they were so bad that I don't want to play anymore, but because I enjoyed the game so much that I want to come back and play it properly when its done. I'm definitely looking forward to playing this game again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Boring gameplay loop with not a lot going on. Waste of a few bucks.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very cute but tricky resource management game. The visuals are very cute, the concept is easy to grasp and it is very fun to just keep playing. I think once the early access bugs get ironed out it will be a really awesome game! If you manage to keep one of your guys alive for a while it feels like they get really strong however the down side comes when you die, as you loose all the upgrades you made for your guy. I had no deaths till my first at town level 5, and then been dying kinda often…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have now played Into the Emberlands for almost 20 hours. After about 8 or 9 hours I reached the maximum level of the Embertower and completed the game. Nevertheless, the game has continued to hook me. I kept trying to unlock all the achievements for the game. AFTER I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS ONE NPC FOR 10 HOURS AND WAS ALMOST DESPERATE AND NEARLY CRIED, I actually found him and was able to complete the game 100%. I have found my peace and can finally finish the game... until there are content…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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